FINISHED. The original KD fic, set before LK. Set after Squire, before Lady Knight was published. Kel's heart has been wounded, and she won't let friendship bloom into more. When Dom is taken captive, will she get there in time to save her friend?

A/N: Hi! This is
my first fanfic so please be nice to me! I noticed how there are no Kel/Dom
fics and although I don't think they would ever be together, I think someone
has to write one. I don't really know where this is going so I'm open to all
suggestions! Oh, and I know this chapter's a bit boring but I had to get rid of
Cling-on (oops, I meant Cleon). And I know Alanna's not really in
character but hey! I don't care! It's my ff so it's my rules!

Oh, and they're in some camp somewhere up north at the end
of the war with Scanra, clearing up and tying up loose ends.

Chapter 1- Bye Bye, Cleon!

Cleon
was dead. He had died up north, fighting hard battles against Scanra. He had
finally been cut down by a mounted Scanran axe man.

On receiving news of Cleon's death, Kel had thought
her world was over. She cried until she was empty of tears. It only hurt more
that the seemingly endless war with Scanra finished only a few weeks after she
heard of his death.

Kel wandered around for days in a daze, half asleep.
She was unable to rest properly at night anymore. The men she was with, mostly
soldiers from the Own, didn't know what to do with her. She barely ate and her
weapon practices and fighting workouts became less frequent and less
enthusiastic. The chirpy, cheerful but careful and clever Kel they had known as
a fellow warrior and a female knight of Tortall had turned into a mushy pulp of
a person who had long ago lost the want of life.

But then Lord Raoul arrived and with him came Lady
Alanna. Traipsing after the Lioness was a dusty Neal and an even dustier Owen.
Somehow all four managed to look relatively happy. Kel had heard about their
arrival but had not wished to see them so she let the other men greet them.
After all, she wasn't in charge.

But despite everything, Kel couldn't help but creep
out to eavesdrop.

'Where's Kel?' That was Raoul, interrupting the man
that was speaking. From the tone of his voice and her years as his squire, Kel
knew that his face would be distorted by a puzzled frown.

'Don't know, my Lord, sir,' replied the officer.
'She's been acting very strange the last weeks, sir. We're very worried about
her, my Lord. She received some message and since then has gone into some
trance-like state.'

Raoul had opened his mouth to respond but was
interrupted by a cry from one of the other men.

'Pah! Really we all knew she could never make it,
even when she passed the Ordeal! She's still a girl! And without
anything to back her up- no magic, nothing! Just those pesky sparrows of hers!
Flitting around her like little guardians! I bet that Wildmage had got
something to do with their strange behaviour! Pah! Female knights, indeed!'

There was silence now that he had finished his
raving. In the past, Kel would have burnt up with anger at his words but now
that fury was swallowed up in her grief. What if he was right?

'How dare you insult Kel.' That was Neal, his voice
clipped with his anger. Kel heard the clinks of metal and the slither of
leather as he dismounted and the shuffles of men moving as Neal advanced on the
speaker.

'Neal,' warned Raoul. His voice, Kel noted, was also
terse.

'He needs to be taught a lesson,' snapped Neal.

'Yes, but don't you think I'm the right person to be
the teacher?' Alanna's voice was oddly- dangerously- calm. 'He did imply there
should be no female knights; maybe he did not see me behind my Lord's bulky
form? And as Lady Keladry is not here to defend herself, I will have to do it
for her.' Kel recognised the noise of a sword being unsheathed; Alanna had
joined Neal.

How dare they think she was incapable of
defending herself! Kel stepped around the tent she had been hiding behind.

'An what if Lady Keladry is here to defend herself?'

They all turned to her. Neal, Alanna, Owen and Raoul
all brightened at the sight of her standing there, clenched fists on hips,
glare on face.

'Then,' Kel replied softly. 'I would say perhaps
he's right. Perhaps I don't have any right to be a knight. And I would say
everyone is open to their own opinions. But that wouldn't stop me from doing
this.' And she coldly punched him in the face, her hand sliding across his jaw and
smashing into his nose. The force of the blow sent him flying backwards.

Kel walked over to him lying on the ground. 'And I
would conclude by advising you to keep your opinions to yourself.' Then she
walked away and shut herself in the tent where she remained, undisturbed, for
the rest of the day.

*

Neal, Owen, Raoul and Alanna sat in Raoul's tent,
talking.

'I wanted to help get this lot packed up and home
quickly,' said Raoul. 'But I don't know whether that's so wise anymore until
we've sorted out whatever's wrong with Kel.' He sighed and massaged the back of
his neck. 'Any ideas of what this message could be?'

There was silence for a moment as they all thought
and then Neal said,' Aah.' He and Owen exchanged looks.

'What?' demanded Raoul.

'Well, you see, one of Kel's um…friends died
a while ago. It could be that.'

'Was this- friend Cleon of Kennan by any
chance?' asked Raoul.

Neal nodded. 'Aah,' said Raoul. 'There's our
problem.'

'Pardon me,' said Alanna. 'But Kel wasn't my
squire for four years! I don't know the things you do, Raoul!'

Kel moved. 'No it's not!' she snapped. 'I shouldn't
be acting like this I should get over my grief! I should forget about him!
After all, I've only seen him about four times since my Ordeal and that was
what? Two, three years ago?'

'No Kel. You're wrong.' Alanna stood up and caught
Kel's eyes with her own. 'You shouldn't forget him- nobody should be forgotten.
It does not matter how much you've seen him, only how much you cared for each
other. Have you even had a chance to properly let go? Has anyone even bothered
to comfort you?'

Kel's eyes brimmed with tears as she slowly shook
her head.

'It's okay to cry. You must mourn for him but you
must also continue with your life. Only think of the grief we would suffer to
loose you as well. And think of him- wouldn't he want you to move on?'

Alanna gently took Kel in her arms as Kel began to
cry unashamedly (even though Kel was so much taller that her!).

'I had a lover once,' murmured Alanna when Kel had
calmed down. 'We had spilt up- mutual agreement but we were still close friends
and he travelled with me. I still had strong feelings for him. Then he was
killed protecting the King. He should never have been in that battle. He should
never have been protecting the King- that was my job. He should never have died
then, in that way. He left me a letter to say he had been prewarned of his
death but it didn't stop me from feeling guilty. He took my position. At least
you don't have to suffer with as well.'